The Medical Negligence Experts are recognised as being one of the leading teams of medical negligence solicitors in Brighton and Hove. We represent victims who, through no fault of their own, have been injured by a professional they trusted with their health and wellbeing. With our assistance, clients receive the compensation they need to move on with their lives.

Medical negligence claims are a complex branch of the law. Because our lawyers specialise in these types of claims they have the experience and knowledge needed to obtain maximum compensation while causing the minimum amount of interference to your life.

When you accept a payment, you agree that the case is resolved. It is not possible to reopen an old claim or start a new one if you realise at a later date that you were entitled to more money. It is vital to get it right first time, which is why working with an experienced solicitor like those at The Medical Negligence Experts is so important.

What is Medical Negligence?

When your doctor or dentist sees you as a patient, they agree to undertake a duty of care to you. When a nurse starts that day’s shift at the hospital, they are committing to provide an acceptable standard of care for every patient they tend to. Every medical professional accepts this duty of care when they treat a patient and, for the most part, this is generally what they do. However, there are some unfortunate circumstances when they fail to uphold acceptable standards. They rush, get lazy, struggle to do what they need to do with resources they don’t have, and patients receive an injury as a result.

If you have been harmed by the very professional you trusted to heal you, and you believe this could have been avoided, you may have grounds to claim compensation for medical negligence which is where The Medical Negligence Experts come in.

Talk to us today to find out more about whether you can make a claim and how the process works. We are happy to give you a free, no obligation consultation where you can talk to a legal expert and ask the questions that will help you make the right choice for you and your family.

We handle all types of medical negligence claims, whether you were being treated under the NHS or went to a private practice. From surgical errors and delayed diagnosis claims to failed elective surgery like breast augmentation, tummy tucks and tooth whitening, our medical negligence solicitors in Brighton and Hove will work hard to ensure you receive every penny of compensation you deserve.

Whatever type of claim you are making you can trust that we will always focus on the person at the heart of the claim: you. We appreciate the devastation an injury caused by medical negligence can wreak on a victim and their family. Some clients we represent are fortunate enough to completely recover from their injury, but others endure life-changing conditions that require an enormous amount of adjustment.

Receiving payment for damages is as much about recognition of the trauma you have been through as it is about having the financial ability to rebuild your life and move beyond your injury, making your life – however that may look – as comfortable and fulfilling as possible.

The majority of applications our medical negligence lawyers in Brighton and Hove handle are made against the NHS. It is not uncommon for clients to feel daunted by the prospect of taking on such a large organisation but you do not need to feel concerned.

Our team is extremely experienced at successfully claiming compensation from the NHS. We are very familiar with the way the NHS Litigation Authority – the organisation who handles all NHS compensation claims – works, and this knowledge will help you to get maximum compensation in the shortest possible time.

While a successful application for damages gives you financial retribution for your injury, it does not provide an apology or the assurance that those responsible will learn from their error so no one else needs to suffer the way you did. If you want answers and an apology, then you can raise a formal complaint against your care provider. Doing so can help your compensation claim as the investigation will provide valuable evidence to support your belief that negligence was to blame.

When you are ready to talk about making an NHS negligence claim, talk to The Medical Negligence Experts. We can guide you through the process to help you understand what it involves and help you understand that, in the right hands, you have nothing to worry over.

No one should struggle to afford top-quality legal support when they need us. Hiring a lawyer in Brighton and Hove can cost thousands of pounds and, with no guarantee that they will receive compensation at the end of it, it’s a risk many victims of medical negligence are reluctant to take.

Our medical negligence solicitors in Brighton and Hove handle compensation claims on a no win no fee basis. These agreements, also called conditional fee agreements, mean that you don’t have to pay any lawyer’s fees upfront, nor do you have to pay them if your claim is unsuccessful. It means that if you don’t have access to a significant amount of money, or you don’t already have an insurance policy which will cover your legal expenses, you can still afford to seek justice in the form of damages from the responsible party.

Your lawyer will discuss your funding options at the start of the claim. As they are the ones shouldering the financial risk of your claim, they will investigate the circumstances around your injury in detail, making sure there is a good chance of your application for compensation being successful. If so, they will offer to represent you on a No Win No Fee basis on the understanding that you pay them a percentage of your total compensation as a “success fee”.

You will need to take out an After the Event insurance policy to cover any of your opponent’s costs you are liable for if you lose. This is a straightforward matter that your lawyer can advise on.

If you win, your opponent will pay your legal costs, including any incidental costs like court fees or independent medical reports. If you lose, your lawyer will waive your legal fees and an After the Event insurance policy will take care of everything else you are liable to pay, including your opponent’s legal fees and incidental costs.

It really is that straightforward. Having a reputable medical negligence lawyer who works on a no win no fee basis can mean the difference between accessing the rehabilitative care you need, and struggling on long waiting lists where the goal posts for getting treatment seem always to be moving.

To help get you started on the road to a successful compensation claim, we have listed the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive from potential clients. If we haven’t listed your question here, or if you want any more information about anything you have read, just get in touch, and one of our legal advisors will be happy to discuss your needs in detail.

Proving your injury was caused by negligence and did not result from an existing condition or bad luck can be difficult, which is why it is so critical to the success of your claim that you work with an experienced medical negligence solicitor.

If you have been hurt or your condition has worsened due to negligence in Brighton and Hove that can be proven, then you may be able to claim damages.

Although there are industry standard guidelines for how much compensation should be paid for certain injuries, compensation payments are tied directly to an individual’s circumstances. For example, an injury which prevents a victim in their thirties from working may warrant a higher amount than someone who has suffered the same injury but who is retired.

We will find out from you exactly what your claim has cost not just in physical damage but in things like lost wages, prescriptions, private rehabilitative medical treatment, and any other expense you have incurred directly as the result of negligence.

How long will my compensation claim take?

As with the amount of compensation, the processing time is individual to each claim. The average duration is typically somewhere around 18 months, but this can be longer if the other party denies liability, if you can’t agree on what is a fair amount of compensation, or if the long-term effects of your claim are still to be determined.

If your claim goes to court – which happens in just under 1% of all claims made against the NHS, you may have to wait another 12-18 months for a court date, although we will continue to negotiate with the other party during this time with the view of resolving your claim out of court.

When should I speak to a lawyer?

You should seek expert legal advice as soon as you think your injury was caused by negligence, even if you are still recovering in hospital. Talking The Medical Negligence Experts can help you access the support and resources you need to make the best possible recovery. It can also make it easier to obtain the evidence necessary to prove negligence, thereby reducing the time you have to wait for payment.

Another reason to seek legal advice at the earliest opportunity is that in most cases, you only have three years from the date of your injury, or the date you knew it was caused by negligence, to make your claim.

Will claiming compensation affect my treatment?

Raising a compensation claim against a healthcare professional should not affect your treatment in any adverse way. If you have lost faith in their ability to treat you, then it will give you access to other professionals to help your rehabilitation and recovery. If you decide to stay with your current health care provider, they are legally prevented from discriminating against you in any way.

Why can’t I keep all my compensation?

Before the law was changed on 1 April 2013, the losing party was responsible for paying the winning solicitor’s success fee. That is no longer possible which is why this fee is deducted from your final compensation amount. It is agreed as a percentage – legally no more than 25% – at the start of your claim, so you know exactly what you will pay.

The benefit of tying the success fee to the amount of compensation is that you know your lawyer will always work hard to obtain maximum compensation because their payment depends on it too.

Can I claim compensation for a family member?

The Medical Negligence Experts frequently assist close family members of those injured by medical negligence. You can do this if you are a parent or guardian acting on behalf of a child under the age of 18, or if you are claiming in the name of a person who lacks the mental capacity to do so themselves. Compensation in these type of applications is paid into a trust to be administered on behalf of the victim until they are legally able to do so on their own.

Why do I need a solicitor to make a compensation claim?

You can make a claim without legal counsel however you significantly reduce the likelihood of receiving a fair compensation payment – if you get anything at all – if you do. As the claimant, it is your responsibility to prove the other party was negligent and that your injury resulted directly from their actions.

Fighting a medical negligence claim can take several years, time people can ill afford if they already have other commitments on their time such as family and work.

The best way to find out more about claiming compensation for medical negligence is to call The Medical Negligence Experts on our free phone number or fill in our online contact form for an advisor to call you.

As every medical case is different, the amount of compensation paid out can differ. Varying factors lead to the final figure include: Level of negligence, earnings missed out on, future losses and more.

Our experienced team of experts will give you an indication of how much you could potentially claim.

We understand that when making a claim it’s important to know what to expect and when to expect it. That’s why we make the process as transparent as possible.

Your solicitor will gather all the evidence and will notify the negligent party of your claim against them. With your dedicated solicitor negotiating on your behalf, you will be kept up to date every step of the way.

Why should you use us?

No Win No Fee

We offer a No Win No Fee* service on all our claims - We assess each claim on its merits with the information provided, which aids us to determine its likely success rate. This takes the risk away from you.

Expert Solicitors

Our experienced solicitors are experts in securing compensation no matter the level of negligence.
We are committed to securing the best possible outcome for you, while providing friendly support every step of the way.

Personal Dedicated Solicitors

On contact, you will be allocated your own expert Medical Negligence solicitor who will be there every step of the way. You will be provided with a direct phone number and direct email address of your solicitor.

Expert clinical negligence solicitors in Brighton and Hove working for you

We specialise in helping victims of medical negligence claim the compensation they deserve.

We work on a No Win No Fee basis, meaning if we don’t win your case, you don’t pay! Once you make contact, your experienced solicitor will work to recover the maximum compensation you are entitled to.

Whether you are ready to make a medical negligence claim, or you would just like a free conversation with a legal professional, we have experts on hand to give you all the information you need. Take the first step to getting what you deserve by filling in our quick contact form and we will call you back whenever suits you.

The Medical Negligence Experts is the trading name of National Injury Claimline LTD. National Injury Claimline Ltd is regulated by the Claims Management Regulator in respect of regulated claims management activities. Authorisation Number: CRM42188. www.claimsregulation.gov.uk. *Conditions may apply